The Guardians of Harmony
by MadiAshley
Summary: Princess Twilight Sparkle is the official ruler of all Equestria. The elements have split up into their own worlds. She hasn't seen her friends in decades. But when a vision of a great danger haunts Twilight's dreams, she must prepare for the worst. Will Twilight Sparkle find all of the Element Bearers in time before the great evil arrives? Read to find out!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello all! This is my first fanfiction, so cut me some slack and go easy on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story! It's a lot of fun writing it! I know it seems short for now but this is only the prologue of my story! That's all I have to say for now! Enjoy! **

* * *

"_**HA HA HA HA!**_", A deep, hair-raising laugh boomed throughout her land.

The sky was black with horrifying clouds. Howling winds were giving eerie moans. Green, buzzing tornadoes destroyed anything and everything in their desired paths. Ponies shrieked with absolute fright and hid for any source of cover. It seemed as if nowhere was safe.

It was madness._ Chaos._ It was complete and utter chaos.

She didn't know what to do. For the first time in what seemed like a decade, she hadn't had a clue on how to handle this. The purple princess was frozen with both fear and pain. She witnessed the once peaceful environment around her...

The storms still raged.

The winds still howled.

Ponies continued to scatter with fear in their hearts.

Her five friends were gone from sight.

Her kingdom was crumbling by the minute. She felt like a complete failure to her subjects, her friends, and the two sisters who once ruled Equestria.

The powerful foe gave another bone-chilling cackle.

"_Looks like I have __**won**__! Why don't you give up, dear princess? You have nothing to stand for now! Everything that once belonged to you is now __**mine**__!_"

With tears in her eyes, Twilight Sparkle slowly fell to the ground in defeat.


	2. A Paranoid Princess

"Nnn..aah._."_

"_Princess?_", a faint, distant voice asked.

"Hnng.."

"Princess Twilight?", the unknown voice became a little more clear.

"Ahh..**AAHHH!**", Twilight shot up screaming in her bed, her wings flapping rapidly.

"Princess, are you alright?!", a Royal Guard shouted at the princess, startled by her sudden outburst.

Twilight Sparkle woke up in a cold sweat. She couldn't control her breathing. Her heart was pacing at a wild pace.

That was a terrible nightmare she had. It seemed so real...

At the foot of her bed, two guards were staring at Princess Twilight with concerned expressions on their faces. Weapons at the ready just to be cautious that there were no intruders that snuck into the castle.

"What are you doing? Why are you in my room?!", Twilight asked, a little shaken up from her dream.

"We were doing our nightly watch as usual.", One unicorn guard spoke up, "But then we started to hear noises coming from your bedroom, Princess. We started to hear screaming."

The purple pony felt embarrassment rising in her belly, a light blush showing on her cheeks.

"We both rushed to your chamber as quickly as possible when we heard your shrieks, Princess Twilight.", the other guard explained, "Once we got into your room, we saw that there were no signs of any danger, just you sleeping soundly in your bed. But, both of us saw that you looked troubled in your sleep."

"It seemed as if you started to panic in your sleep, Princess.", the unicorn guard added, "We thought it would be best to wake you up. Sincere apologies for disturbing your slumber, Princess Sparkle."

Both of the guards bowed in apology.

"It's no worry.", Twilight said, accepting their apology, "I was just having a bit of a nightmare is all. Thank you for checking on me. You can go back to your duties."

She shooed the guards away, bidding them a farewell.

Twilight Sparkle laid back down onto her bed, trying her hardest to relax.

That dream. That.._nightmare_. It all seemed so authentic..almost like a vision. It had set her mind ablaze with thoughts.

She was definitely going to get to the bottom of this mystery in the morning.

"Was it really _just_ a dream?", she had asked herself before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Twilight Sparkle did her typical, royal duties a she did every morning. It was now her responsibility to raise the sun and set the moon, and do the opposite when it came time for her land to sleep. She watched as her kingdom slowly started to become lively from their night's rest. But something was off. Last night's occurrence had still haunted her mind. She began to worry.

Just then, a familiar face flew over to Twilight's tower.

"Good morning, Twilight!", the teen-aged dragon cheered, his wings flapping in an even motion.

"Good morning, Spike.", She answered quietly. Twilight turned away from him, hoping to continue on with her early day, but instead she started to pace and mumble nonsense to herself.

Spike raised a brow, still flapping his wings to stay afloat. The young dragon perched himself on the railing of the balcony. He knew those movements all too well. When he was younger, Spike would catch Twilight pacing when she was either worried or stressed about something.

"Ehh. Are you okay, Twilight?", Spike asked, pointing at the paranoid pony.

Twilight Sparkle glanced at him with uneasiness in her eyes.

"Yes. I-I'm fine.", she continued to pace.

"You sure about that?", Spike became more suspicious with every mumble and movement she made.

"Yes, Spike.", Twilight confirmed, becoming frustrated.

"C'mon, Twilight. I _know_ something is wrong. I've seen that look on your face before. What happened?", the teen interrogated.

The pony stopped her pacing and looked down. She let out a defeated sigh.

"I had..a nightmare..", She faintly confessed.

Spike looked at her with a puzzled expression. All that worry just because she had a bad dream? This was silly. Sometimes, the dragon just didn't understand the princess.

"_Just_ a nightmare? It's okay, Twi! We all have our good and bad dreams! I'm sure it's nothing to worry about!", He tried comforting her.

"No, Spike. This was real. I'm positive it was. It was almost like a vision. I feel something disastrous is going to happen! And I need to be sure nothing disastrous _does_ happen!", Twilight argued.

"Uh, Twilight? Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little? It could've just been a bad dream.", Spike said.

Twilight Sparkle gently walked to the railing of the balcony. She looked down at Canterlot and the lands beyond.

"No. I am sure a storm is coming. And I want the kingdom to have no harm come to it.", the princess spoke with a sudden bravery in her voice, "Spike. If danger is coming, I want to be prepared for when it does come."

Spike leaned on the railing, looking at Twilight with an unsure face.

"And what are we exactly gonna do to prepare for it?", the dragon asked.

The princess closed her eyes, her head tilting downward. Feeling the warmth of the morning rays of sun on her face, Twilight looked up with a fearless pysche.

"_Gather the Elements of Harmony.._"

* * *

**Author's Note: Yay! First chapter is up! I hoped you liked it! The next chapter will be coming soon!**


	3. Bringing the News

"_And what are we exactly gonna do to prepare for it, Twilight?_"

"_Gather the Elements of Harmony..._"

Both of their voices sounded as if they echoed.

The green, glowing, and rather large orb showed an image of Twilight Sparkle and Spike standing side-by-side on the castle balcony.

"Oooh, my dear Princess..", a distorted voice chuckled, "Little do you know my invasion has already begun."

The image of the royal duo had slowly disappeared from the seeing orb.

A faint laugh was heard in the distance.

* * *

Princess Twilight rushed down the corridors of the castle, Spike flying along her side.

"Okay, Spike. I need to inform everypony that I must leave the kingdom to find the Elements of Harmony.", she spoke with a serious tone.

"Okay, that's the first step. But wait, if you're going to be gone, who's gonna watch over Equestria?!", Spike realized that there would be no one to take the princess's place if she was off on an important mission.

Twilight skidded to a stop. She placed a hoof on her lip in thought. There was always Princess Cadence. But Twilight couldn't possibly burden her sister-in-law with ruling Equestria and the Crystal Empire all at once. That was just too much to handle. The purple princess shook her head, beginning to rush through the castle once more.

"I-I don't know. I'll have to figure something out. But for now we need to focus on the task at hand!", Twilight said.

"Right, now how we gonna do that?", The teen asked with foolery, continuing to fly beside her.

* * *

Royal Guards were standing in straight, neat positions down the hallways. Twilight Sparkle and Spike zipped passed them.

"What's the rush, Princess?", a pegasus guard called out to the duo.

"I need you to gather every pony in town to the castle! Immediately!", Twilight ordered, speeding to her destination.

The stallion shouted to the others, his wings spreading and lifting himself into the air.

"You heard the princess! Gather the citizens of Equestria!"

The Royal Guards took off in a flash for Canterlot and the rest of the land. All except for one. The earth pony stumbled about, trying to follow the group. The stallion looked paler than his regular hue. The guard had dark circles under his eyes. It looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks. He shook in his rickety armor. The pegasus noticed his weak colleague. He swooped down to the earth pony.

"Why are you still here? Why aren't you following orders?!", the pegasus was agitated.

The guard weakly raised an armored hoof to his head, trembling in his saluting stance.

"I-I'm sorry, sir.," the soldier started, giving the pegasus guard a glazed look, "I have been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days."

The winged guard raised a brow. His comrade really did look very ill.

"Go to the hospital and stay there until you're well enough to continue on with your guard duties. You are dismissed.", the Royal Guard excused the sick stallion.

"T-Thank you, sir.", the earth pony feebly saluted one last time before hobbling away.

The pegasus noticed something peculiar.

When his comrade turned to go seek medicine, the sick guard's cutie mark was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Ponies gathered in the courtyard of the castle, finding places to stand for the princess's important meeting. Noises of multiple hooves on stone and the chatter of conversations echoed throughout the gathering place.

Two Royal Guards walked up to the podium, playing a quick tune on trumpets to silence the crowd. The sounds coming from the plethora of ponies slowly died down. All eyes were looking straight forward at the podium.

Princess Twilight Sparkle calmly walked up to the stand, Spike standing by her side. He gave her a soft smile, mouthing the words, "It's okay" to her. Twilight returned the smile to the purple dragon. She then turned her head to the large crowd of ponies. She gulped and cleared her throat, neatly shuffling her stack of papers.

"Good morning, everypony.", she greeted, "I have gathered all of you here today for a very important message. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

The citizens began to whisper things to one another.

"I feel that a terrible disaster is coming our way.", Twilight continued on with her speech, remaining strong.

Ponies gasped and gawked at the princess's words. The audience became rowdy and skittish.

"Now now. I know this all sounds quite shocking to you, but please remain calm. I have devised a plan to protect Equestria before this danger arrives.", she spoke with a reassuring tone.

The crowd seemed somewhat relieved from her statement.

The princess cleared her throat once more, skimming her notes, "However, in order to take action to my plan, I must leave Equestria. It is of the up-most importance that I find the Elements of Harmony, our true saviors.", she stated.

"Wait! If you're going to be gone, then who's gonna watch over us?", a voice from the cluster interrupted. Some commoners began to speak and nod their heads in agreement.

Oh no. She forgot about that. Twilight had to think fast.

"Uh. Um. Spike! Spike will keep watch while I'm gone!", Princess Twilight exclaimed, presenting the teen.

Spike's eyes went wide.

"WHAT?!", the dragon roared. Twilight covered his mouth with her hoof.

"Yes. My friend and most trusted assistant, Spike, will keep a close eye on the kingdom while I am away.", the pony said nervously, still covering Spike's mouth.

"I will leave first thing tomorrow. Do not fear my little ponies, for I will collect the elements and we will protect Equestria!", Twilight exclaimed, pride in her words.

The Equestrian citizens stomped their hooves whilst joyfully cheering in hopes of safety and relief.

* * *

"ME? WATCH OVER EQUESTRIA?! I CAN'T DO THAT!", it was now Spike's turn to pace and worry.

"You'll do fine, Spike. I have faith in you. Hopefully, I won't be gone for long. A few days watching over a kingdom isn't that much work.", Twilight said, trying to calm the dragon.

"But I know _nothing_ about being a princess!", Spike retorted, continuing to pace from one end of the princess's bedroom to the next.

Twilight Sparkle giggled at his ridiculous comment.

"Don't worry, Spike. All you have to do is look out for anything suspicious. I have asked the Royal Guards to report to you if they see anything out of the ordinary.", Twilight said, watching the dragon walk back and forth.

"But what do I do if they report anything to me?", Spike glanced at the pony sitting on her bed.

"Then you inform it to _me_. Write me letters if there is any emergency.", the princess nestled her head on her pillow, pulling the covers onto herself, "We have a big day tomorrow, Spike. I recommend you get some sleep."

Spike looked down at the ground, still overwhelmed by the fact that he will be a temporary leader. He sighed. The dragon grabbed a few pillows and a fluffy blanket. He set up a pile of pillows as an alternate mattress. Spike burrowed into the pillows, shifting on them until he was in a comfortable position. He pulled the blanket onto his scaly form.

"Goodnight, Twilight.", Spike yawned.

"Goodnight, Spike." Twilight answered, half-asleep.

The princess and her companion slid into a quiet sleep.


	4. Time To Go

The early morning sun was shining through the balcony window, shining warm rays throughout the princess's bedroom. Faint chirps of early birds sung throughout the heavens, a light breeze blowing their songs in different directions. A fine morning it was for an adventure.

Princess Twilight Sparkle grabbed her saddlebag and packed the essentials for her trip.

"Okay, map? _Check._ Tent? _Check._ Scrolls and quills? _Check_ and _check_.", Twilight checked her list of gear, trotting about her room.

Spike was doing his best to help the alicorn pack, but she seemed to be fine without a helpful hand.

"What about this? Do you need that?", Spike asked, pointing to useless objects around the room. Twilight shrugged off his questions, too busy preparing the next step to her plan.

"I appreciate your help, Spike.", Twilight said, double-checking her list, "But I'm sure I have everything I need."

Spike hummed in response, his green eyes drifting off to a certain area of the princess's room. He flew over to the tall, dusty bookshelf, analyzing some of the old books that settled on the shelves. The dragon grabbed a few books and swooped over to his pony companion.

"Hey, Twilight! I found some books you might like on your trip!", Spike exclaimed.

Twilight looked over his selection. She sighed with annoyance.

"That's very kind of you but I wouldn't have time to read. I must stay focused on my mission to find the elements.", the pony said.

"Oh c'mon, Twi! Traveling is gonna get so boring after a while.", Spike said honestly, Twilight puffed her cheeks in offense, "I know you love books, so I thought you could read something along the way!"

The princess sighed, "Alright, Spike. You win. I'll take the books.", Spike smiled in response.

She levitated the old books into her saddlebag with her magic.

* * *

It was time for Twilight Sparkle to depart from her precious home.

She was headed beyond Canterlot. She was going to travel north through the mountains to get to her first stop.

Ponies gathered at the city square to wish their good byes. Twilight had her saddlebag strapped to her back, ready for the journey that awaited her. Spike was standing near her, eyes filled grief. She looked up at the sad dragon.

"It's going to be okay, Spike. You can always write to me if there is any problem.", the pony reassured him.

"I know, Twi. It's just that I'm gonna worry about you being out there. I'm gonna miss you!", Spike said, sadness lingering in his voice.

"I'll be fine. I'll be back in no ti-", Spike shoved her into a tight embrace. Twilight gasped at the sudden action, eyes wide.

"Hurry back.", He quietly said, releasing Twilight from his strong arms.

She gave a warm glance at the teenager. Twilight Sparkle turned her head to look at the citizens of her kingdom.

"Thank you, everypony.", Twilight said with a wistful smile, "I will return as soon as possible. But for now, I wish you all a farewell."

She began to walk away, confidence booming in her chest.

"_Good luck, princess!_", a voice from the crowd shouted.

"_We'll see you soon! Hurry back!_", another random voice called.

Just then, ponies began to cheer and wave farewells to their princess, shouting wishes of good fortune and happy travels.

A glimmer of hope shined in Twilight's eyes. She gave one more quick smile to the other ponies and Spike before dashing off on her quest.

She was on her way to the nearest element. She was one of the first ponies that Twilight Sparkle ever met when she first moved to Ponyville.

Twilight was on her way to find the Element of Honesty.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been busy with a lot of things. Sorry if this chapter was short! I got REALLY lazy with it. XP But I hope you liked it anyway! I know I don't have a lot but thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! And Happy Valentine's Day! 3**


	5. Honesty Acres

**_AN:_ It's about time I got this done! Once again, I'm so sorry this took so long! I was suffering from some writer's block (which led to motivation loss which led to laziness). And also I've been busy with school work and other things. But I have been completing this chapter little by little when I have had some free time! I apologize if it seems a bit choppy. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I really enjoyed writing this chapter due to new characters being introduced! It was getting boring just writing about Twilight! XP I tried to make it longer as one reviewer requested! And do y'all wanna see Twilight and Spike from my story? The link is on my profile because I couldn't paste it here for some reason. :/ But definitely go check it out if you're interested! That's all I have to say for now til' the next update!**

**Happy reading! ^^**

* * *

She was halfway through the northern mountains. Canterlot was nowhere in sight. It was gradually becoming dark in the evening sky, a strong wind commencing through the tall land forms, causing the atmosphere to become rather chilly. She used her magic to light the way, levitating a cape out of her saddlebag. The purple pony put on the warm cape, slipping the hood over her head. Twilight was trying her best to keep her balance on the steep, rocky ground, little strands of her hooded mane blowing this way and that.

"Oof!", she yelped as she stumbled slightly, a few stones tumbling down the side of the mountain. Twilight's eyes followed the small rocks that fell, listening carefully to the distant sounds that the hard clumps made as they hit the ground below. The princess couldn't help but look downward, her magic giving off a pink glow on the steep surfaces. Fear rose in her belly as she realized how high she was. Twilight was unable to fly. She would've been blown away if she had chose to maneuver through the mountains with her wings. She gulped, cautiously making her way through the large obstacles, her wings folded tightly against her sides.

"Okay, Twilight. Slow and steady.", she attempted to calm herself, taking another shaky step, "Yeah. Slow and steady w-wins the race."

Twilight Sparkle continued on with her steady steps, but she started to grow weary from her exhausting day of travel. The pony wished she could voyage from dusk until dawn to make her trip a lot faster, but she couldn't possibly travel through all of the hours of darkness. She needed rest and warmth from the cold, windy night. Twilight squinted, looking for a safe spot to camp out until morning.

The glow of her magic came across something in the distance. It was hard to see the environment around her due to the evening darkness but her magic made sure to catch every glimpse of her path. Twilight Sparkle spotted a hole in the mountain, a cave. She quickened her pace to reach it, almost losing her balance. The hole grew larger with each quick step Twilight took. The pony cautiously peeked inside the cave.

"Hello?", she called out to the dark, her voice echoing throughout the vacant area. No one seemed to inhabit the cave. Only the sounds of the winds and the emptiness of the cave were heard. Twilight shrugged, entering her temporary camping site. She set her saddlebag down on the rough surface of the cave, levitating the contents inside her bag out. Twilight set up her small tent with a yawn. She huddled inside, hovering a small quilt around her shivery frame. She rested her head on the floor of the cave. She closed her eyes, dimming her horned light out. Twilight tossed and turned on the solid ground. She opened her eyes, giving a sleepy groan.

"Ugh..I should've brought something more comfortable..", she said to no one. She lit her magic once again. Something caught the corner of her eye. Twilight turned to look at her saddlebag, a small book peeking out from the inside of it's pocket. It was one of the books Spike asked her to take on her trip. Twilight felt a little down from staring at it, she missed Spike and her dear home. The princess gave a small smile.

"Oh, why not?", Twilight Sparkle said as she hovered the book towards her. She set the object down in front of her and opened the cover, her drowsy eyes slowly reading the pages. She yawned with a smile on her face, mentally thanking Spike for the books. She gave a lazy last look at her current page she was skimming before resting her head on the open book. Twilight Sparkle fell into a hazy sleep.

* * *

Twilight groggily opened her eyes with a tired groan, only to see darkness. Her face was planted into the book she read the previous night. the musty scent of its pages filling her nose. She must've fallen asleep while she was reading, the princess thought to herself. The sound of chirping birds and a light breeze grew clearer as she woke up. Twilight lifted her head up, the rays of a bright sun shining brightly within the small sleeping chamber. She stood up from her current position and stretched, yawning all the while. The pony trudged to the entrance of the cave. She peered out to look at the morning sky. Twilight gasped, eyes going wide. The sky was blue and the sun had already risen! She had overslept! Twilight rushed back into the cave, packing her things in a flash. She threw the swiftly-packed saddlebag over her shoulder and quickly made her way out of the cavern to resume her travels.

* * *

_Grrrrrrrrr_

"Hng."

_**Grrrrrrrrrr**_

"_GAH!_", Twilight Sparkle exclaimed in frustration, her stomach barking for food. She was in such a rush to leave that she forgot to eat something. The pony cursed herself for not having any sort of snack with her.

Twilight trotted along the dirt path, her hooves becoming slightly mucky from the thick soil. She had made it out of the mountain pass and was now making her way through large fields full of different produce. The sight of all the crops had made Twilight's stomach growl. The alicorn shook off the thoughts of the food to focus on her directions. She had a feeling she was getting closer to her first destination, which had brought a light skip in her step. But to be honest, she was also terrified to see her five friends. Twilight Sparkle had not seen them since the day she first became the princess of Equestria, when they each said their goodbyes and separated to their own places.

_Did they remember her?_

_Would they be upset at her for possibly forgetting about them?_

So many questions danced through her mind as she cantered down the dirt path.

More crops and fields were coming into sight as she drew closer to her first target, which made Twilight's stomach grumble even more. She huffed in annoyance, trying to ignore the scenery of around her. Twilight couldn't escape her rumbling tummy as she began to see tall trees with familiar fruits hanging from each branch._ Apple trees_. She had found apple trees! She must be very close to her farm friend now! Twilight Sparkle smiled as she stopped to rest by one of the many fruitful trees. Taking off her saddlebag and leaning it against a tree's bark, She noticed that there were small baskets filled with apples leaning against a tree near her. The purple pony stared at the baskets with eager eyes as she sat down to rest.

"Maybe I should- _No! That's stealing!..._But I'm so hungry..", Twilight had argued with herself, pondering on whether to snatch one of the delicious fruits from a basket, "_You can't! Applejack will be furious if she finds out that you took one of her apples without permission!_..Well..maybe just one.."

Listening to her hunger, Twilight snuck over to the apple baskets. She scanned the area around her, making sure that no one saw her, before cautiously grabbing an apple. The pony prowled back over to her resting spot for a quick snack. She took a slow bite into the delectable crop.

"_Mmmm.._", Twilight hummed, enjoying the juicy bite. It was delicious. She hadn't had an Apple Family grown product in what seemed like ages. Twilight ate the rest of the apple slowly, savoring every sweet bite. She set the apple core down beside her on the ground. The apple was filling but not enough to satisfy her hunger. She wanted another.

* * *

Twilight Sparkle prepared to chomp into another apple, her mouth watered just by looking at the sweet, red color it held. just as her teeth sunk into the crunchy fruit, she heard the mushy steps oh hooves on the soiled path. Twilight froze, her eyes going large, teeth still attached to the apple.

"_**Hey!** What do you think you're doin'?!_", a southern voice called out, the hoofsteps beginning to sound quicker in pace. The unknown being skidded to a stop a few inches beside the alicorn, the sounds of panting being heard. Twilight anxiously gulped, a nervous sweat forming on the princess's frame. She looked over to the mare from which the exclamation had came from, releasing the apple from her mouth. It fell to the ground with a bouncy thud. Twilight looked up with guilt in her eyes but was soon caught off guard. She did not recognize this pony.

Before her stood a yellow mare with a disgruntled look in her amber eyes. Twilight could not help but stare at the unknown pony, focusing on the young mare's features. She seemed like she was hard-working judging by her slightly messy mane and the muddy, brown work boots that she wore. Twilight Sparkle then noticed something peculiar, this pony wore a small, pink bow within her mane. The alicorn raised a brow, a bell slightly swaying in her head, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. The angry mare snorted in irritation, snapping the purple pony out of her thoughts.

"P-pardon?", Twilight asked with uneasiness in her voice.

"What're you doin' takin' things from my baskets, apple thief!?", the pony retorted back.

"I'm sorry..I was famished..I didn't know those baskets belonged to anypony..", Twilight Sparkle half-lied.

"_Hmph._", the yellow mare puffed, scooping up the two apple baskets onto her back, "Just you wait till I tell my sister we got a thief in our orchard."

Twilight raised a brow once more, the earth pony trotting away on the path, her nose raised high in the air. Sister? That's right! Applejack has a sister! A _little_ sister! Now she remembers! That bell in Twilight's head was ringing up a storm. It's Applebloom! Oh, how big she had gotten! It almost brought a tear to Twilight's eye. She last remembered Applebloom as a filly eager to get her cutie mark, but now she is a beautiful, young mare. With a cutie mark! Twilight hopped to her feet with the brightest of smiles on her face. She took off into a scrambled flight to catch up with Applejack's not-so-little sister.

"**Applebloom! **Applebloom, wait!", the princess called out, flapping her wings rapidly. Applebloom stopped in her tracks and turned her head to Twilight's direction. The flying pony landed a few feet from her, Twilight trotted over, out of breath.

"Huh?", Applebloom questioned, glancing at the panting, purple pony, "H-how did you know my name?"

"It's me! Twilight!", the alicorn said in between breaths, "I used to help you with schoolwork when you were a filly! I'm one of Applejack's good friends!"

"Twilight? As in..Twilight.._Sparkle_?", the earth pony asked, becoming more familiar with the name.

"Yes!", Twilight Sparkle bounced up and down, joyous from Applebloom remembering her, "Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! **Yes!**"

Applebloom raised a brow at Twilight's happy form bouncing in circles around her. A smile crept on the farm pony's face, giggling at Twilight's silly excitement. She remembered how the pony did the same maneuver when she was telling her cutie mark tale to her and her two friends.

"Oh, Twilight! It_ is_ you!", Applebloom chuckled, "Applejack will be so happy to see you've stopped by for a visit!"

"Oh!", Twilight stopped her jumping, remembering why she was there in the first place, she turned to Applebloom, becoming serious with a smile, "Speaking of Applejack, I need to talk to her. It is a very important matter. Could you take me to her? Please?"

"Absolutely!", The young pony smiled, "Why, my sister will be as shocked as a zap apple when she sees you've dropped by!"

Twilight Sparkle trotted down the dirt path, following an excited Applebloom.

* * *

_*Knock*_

_*Bang*_

_*Knock*_

The noises of knocking and pounding were heard from afar. Applebloom and Twilight Sparkle arrived at the heart of all the orchards and crop fields. An orange pony was seen on the roof of the big, red barn, hammering a nail into a wooden plank.

"Don't be nervous, Twi. She'll be happy to see you.", Applebloom whispered, noticing the anxious look on Twilight's face. Applebloom skipped over to the barn, looking up to her sister on the roof.

"Hey, Applejaaaack! I've got a surprise for yooou~", she called up to the pony on the roof, using a sing-songy voice.

The pony on the roof sighed in annoyance, rolling her eyes.

"Not now, Applebloom.", Applejack called down to the yellow pony, her words muffled due to the hammer in her mouth, "I'm fixin' the roof."

_*Knock*_

_*Knock*_

_*Knock*_

Applebloom skipped over to Twilight, pulling her over by the leg, "But I think you'll like this surprise!"

Twilight Sparkle spread her wings, flapping slightly into the air. Applebloom gave her one last wink, giggling with a smug grin plastered on her face. Twilight gave a small smile in return before flying up to the barn roof. What she saw surprised Twilight a tad. Applejack looked different from what she had remembered. She studied Applejack's new features. Her golden hair was braided, her mane and tail seemed to match each other. She wore brown work boots, similar to Applebloom's. On top of her head was her classic cowboy hat. The princess smiled at how much Applejack valued it. She then noticed something glittering around Applejack's neck. Twilight squinted to get a better look at the shiny object. Applejack wore her sent some questions through her head, but she'll have to ask them later. She had to get straight to the point.

"Applejack?", Twilight said, her voice being toned out by the farm pony's tools. She saw Applejack knocking a wooden plank into the steel roof, a red toolbox by her side and a few sweat droplets on her brow from the heat of the day. It was obvious that Applejack had not heard her friend.

_*Bang*_

_*Bang*_

_*Bang*_

"Applejack!", She called her name once more, trying to speak louder than the banging of the hammer.

The sounds of the tool stopped. The pony's ears pricked forward, hearing the sound of her name. She stopped her work and gazed up only to see Twilight floating in front of her. Applejack's eyes went wide, dropping the hammer as her mouth hung open. The metal tool hit the roof with a loud clang.

"Applejack.", Twilight Sparkle said with a stern voice, "We need to talk."

"T-Twilight? Is that you?", Applejack squinted her eyes, she was in awe, "I can't believe it! What're you doin' here?"

Twilight Sparkle fluttered onto the metallic platform, folding her wings to her sides.

"Why, I haven't seen ya in forever, sugar cube!"

"I know and I'm happy to see you too.", Twilight answered, "But I must speak with you immediately."

* * *

Twilight and Applejack walked around the orchard, chatting all the while.

"So, what you mean to tell me is that Equestria is in danger? How do you know that?", Applejack questioned.

Well...I-I don't.", Twilight admitted, "Something just hasn't been feeling right in Canterlot lately. I dreamt of something disastrous happening throughout the kingdom.", she paused, Applejack's full attention on her. She listened in silence, "And I want to get to the bottom of it. It is essential that I can defend Equestria any way I can. In order to do that, I need the Elements of Harmony."

Twilight Sparkle placed a hoof on the orange stone on Applejack's neck.

"I need your element, Applejack. Will you come with me to gather the rest of the elements? Will you help me protect Equestria?'

Applejack looked at her element with a concerned gaze, in thought. Of course she wanted to help her old home from an unknown danger. The farm pony raised her eyes to meet Twilight's, a serious smile on her face.

"_I'll do it._"


End file.
